Newcastle draw Qarabag in Champions League play-offs as Mourinho faces Real Madrid again

Will Ford 30 Jan 2026 12:01 PM

It's Newcastle v Qarabag and Benfica v Real Madrid in Champions League play-offs.

Newcastle will take on Qarabag in their Champions League last-16 play-off, while Jose Mourinho’s Benfica face Real Madrid again.

Eddie Howe’s side just missed out on automatic qualification after only managing a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in their final league phase game.

They could have been drawn against either Monaco or Qarabag in the play-off but will face the Azerbaijani side away from home in the first leg on either February 17 or 18 – in what is a long old trip to make between their FA Cup fourth-round clash against Aston Villa and a Premier League meeting with Manchester City. The second leg will be at St James’ Park a week later.

Qarabag won three of their eight league phase fixtures – beating Benfica, Eintracht Frankfurt and Copenhagen – and even held a much-changed Chelsea side to a draw in Baku, but Newcastle should have more than enough to get through if they play with the same spirit they showed against PSG.

The Magpies will play either Chelsea or Barcelona should they make it past Qarabag, but now can’t meet either PSG or Real Madrid until the final as they’re on the other side of the draw.

We’re set to be treated to more of Benfica vs Real Madrid following the dramatic conclusion to their meeting on Wednesday, when Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin scored in the last minute to keep Mourinho’s side in the competition, with the all-French tie between Monaco and PSG and Borussia v Atalanta other attractive play-off clashes.